Years ago I had a friend who would not drink anything except for green tea and beer. He was convinced that the green tea kept him young and full of energy, and that it counteracted any negative effects of the beer. I can't make any claim about green tea and beer but I did know he had energy for days. If you're at all tuned into health and wellness, you've already heard that green tea is considered one of the best anti-aging additions to your diet, but did you know that you can step that up with a particular type of green tea called Matcha?

Its true; a 2003 University of Colorado study showed that drinking 1 cup of matcha green tea has 137 times the amount of antioxidant EGCG compared to a conventional cup of green tea.

What is EGCG ? A polyphenol found in green tea, EGCG is found in highest amounts in black, green, and oolong teas, carob powder, and in smaller but significant amount in pecans, hazelnuts, raw cranberries and pistachios. EGCG has significantly higher antioxidant levels than vitamins C or E, two highly regarded antioxidants. It has been found to be twice as effective as resveratrol, the antioxidant in red wine, in scavenging free radicals. EGCG also inhibits the proliferation of cells -- making it useful in fighting the spread of cancer.

Why such a difference in EGCG levels between conventional green tea and matcha green tea? Let's take a closer look?

First off, matcha green tea comes as a powder, not as tea leaves that are brewed. This means that the whole tea leaf is ground to a powder. When you add hot water to the powder, the whole tea leaf dissolves into the water. This is unlike steeped green tea, where you're only consuming part of the leaf that steeps into the water, then throwing out (or hopefully composting) the rest. By consuming the whole leaf, you get a higher amount of beneficial antioxidants. Why else would you choose Matcha over regular green tea?

5 Benefits of Matcha Green Tea

Anti-Aging: In the book, Blue Zones, longevity expert Dan Buettner highlights 9 regions in the world that are known for long life. One of those places is Okinawa, Japan. The people of Okinawa's longevity has been attributed partly to drinking Matcha Green Tea on a daily basis.

Fat Burning: Studies have shown that exercising immediately after drinking matcha green tea resulted in 25% more fat burning during exercise. Studies have suggested that matcha green tea can enhance both resting metabolic rate as well as fat burning.(1)

Detox: Since Matcha tea is shade grown, it is higher in chlorophyll that brewed green tea. Studies have shown that chlorophyll helps in detoxing heavy metals and other contaminants such as cadmium and mercury, pesticides and industrial pollutants.

Cancer Protective: Studies have shown that the polyphenols in this type of tea prevents the proliferation of malignant cancerous cells and promotes apoptosis (cell death). It also helps to reduce the risk of developing bladder and colorectal cancers and works to stop the progression of breast and prostate tumors.

If you decide to start drinking Matcha green tea, the quality of the tea is very important. Because you're consuming the whole leaf, you want to make sure to choose an organic tea, otherwise you'll be toxifying your body as you're trying to detox it! Two brands that I've come to trust are Green Foods and Aiya. Just do some research and if you find a really cheap matcha tea, be wary of its quality.

If you already drink green tea regularly, what do you think about upgrading to Matcha?